The passage of right-to-work legislation in the state House and Senate may have Lansing in turmoil, but residents of Ann Arbor learned yesterday of a more immediate concern.
Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger, a staple for U of M students and townies alike, is looking for a new home.
Owner Rich Magner said a deal between the University of Michigan and the property’s owner, Patricia Shafer, means he will have to close Blimpy Burger in summer 2013. He wants to find a new location for the restaurant. Shafer is the widow of Blimpy Burger's original founder, Jim Shafer. “I don’t know what the plans are,” Magner said. “But basically, in a nutshell, we will be able to operate in this location into summer 2013 and we will be trying to put a deal together and look for a new location.”
Magner said the University made Shafer an offer "she couldn't refuse."
Blimpy Burger has been serving customers its heaping stacks of beef since 1953.
A look at the menu, shows the array of heart-stopping sandwich options on offer.
Where else can you get a "quintuple" with a fried egg and salami?
When AnnArbor.com asked Magner why Blimpy Burger was such a hit, he got straight to the point:
"The burgers are really good."
Ann Arbor mayor John Hieftje was saddened by the news:
"I would hope particularly that Blimpy Burger, which is kind of an icon in the community and something I've been going to since I was a teenager … I would hope they could reopen somewhere, but I'd really miss them on that corner."
- Jordan Wyant, Michigan Radio Newsroom
